Fashion Fix: How to embellish a collar with angelic Louis Vuitton inspired Lace

Photos 'As time goes buy' and Marie Claire

To counter the darkly beautiful jewelled collar in the previous post, here is an angelic lace collar, inspired by Louis Vuitton's beautiful outsized Broderie Anglaise collars.

General How to:
Cut or unpick the collar off a shirt. If you are recycling an old shirt and need to make the collar smaller to fit your neck, sew a seam down the centre back and trim away any excess. You may want to decorate this seam with some trim to hide any raw edges.  

Lace
Use vintage lace trim to create a delicate and angelic look. Pin in place and use a zigzag stitch to anchor the lace in place. Pleat or gather the lace to give it volume. Replace the collar button with a glass button or pearl. 

If you like that, why not try...


Leather
If you’re not brave enough to go all out with Autumn’s biggest trend, then accessorise with this leather collar to toughen up a chiffon blouse.  Use a very soft leather and cut around an old collar for the pattern. Cut a slit at the front for a buttonhole and sew on a button using a leather needle. 

Fashion Fix: Ruffs and Ruffles

As a costume designer I have long been drawn to ways of framing the face. Doing a lot of work in period costume certainly has led me to be a bit of a ruff connaisseur but it has been the more fantastical designs that have really excited me when it comes to accentuating the jawline. 

Back in 2010 I designed the set and costumes for the Tobacco Factory's Christmas Show The Adventures of Pinocchio. There was plenty of scope for wild fantastical designs, but my favourite had to be the two imprisoned circus acts, below. I was keen to use costume, whilst looking impossibly elegant and fantastical, to  act like an imprisoning force.

photo by Farrows Creative

my costume design for The Adventures of Pinocchio

I again used the Elizabethan Ruff out of context when designing a Clockwork Orange-esque troupe of Fairies for the Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory 2010 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In fact, that is where the frill lace collar in this Fashion Fix also first came into being.

photo by Farrows Creative

my costume drawing of The Fairies in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' SATTF 2010

Gareth Pugh brought the truly Elizabethan armour -like ruff back to the catwalks of late but it has trickled down to the highstreet and inspired crafters and artists to come up with their own take on the great neck adornment.

Here is a slightly softer, more wearable Fashion Fix for you.

You will need:

• a bundle of vintage lace. 6m is good depending on how many layers you want
• cotton blazer
• thread
• needle
• pins
• scissors

How to do it:

1. working your way along the outisde of the upturned colar, pin the lace, pleating as you go.
2. hand stitch a running stitch along the bottom eadge of the lace, removing pins as you go.
3. keep going until all the lace is used up or that you are happy with the fullness of the lace collar.

You wa bundle of vintage lace. 6m is good depending on how many layers you want

• cotton blazer
• thread
• needle
• pins
• scissors

How to do it:

1. working your way along the outisde of the upturned colar, pin the lace, pleating as you go.
2. hand stitch a running stitch along the bottom eadge of the lace, removing pins as you go.
3. keep going until all the lace is used up or that you are happy with the fullness of the lace collar.

Fashion Fix: Doily Clutch Bag

The problem with doilies...no one of our generation really knows what to do with them!

Ros masterminded this gorgeously surprising take on a clutch bag using the humble doily. If they aren't adorning your granny's sidetables, head on down to any vintage shop or fair and snap them up for a bargain. 

You will need:

• Rectangular Doily
• Backing fabric
• Lining fabric
• Clear thread
• Button
• Cord for rouleau loop

How to:

1. Using a running stitch sew your doily onto the backing fabric. 
2. Cut the away the excess backing fabric. Snip as close to the stitches as possible. 
3. Next, cut a rectangle from the lining fabric. Turn under and press all four sides so the lining is the same size as the backing fabric. 
4. Sew a small pocket into the lining fabric before attaching it to the doily. 
5. Pin the pressed lining fabric to the inner side of the doilies and sew all four edges. 
6. Fold the doilies in 3, creating the bag and flap. Sew up either side.
7. Add a button and loop to finish. (See box out ‘How to make Rouleau Loop’)

How to make a Rouleau Loop

1. Cut a strip of your chosen fabric on the bias. It needs to be 4 x the width of your cord 
2. Sew a length of cord at one end of the strip.
3. Fold the strip in half, encasing the cord and, using a zipper foot, sew a running stitch all the way along the strip.
4. Pull the end of the cord and ease the fabric in on its self. This will be slightly fiddly and you may need to use a knitting needle at one end to start it off. 
5. Once the fabric has been pulled all the way through, cut off the cord. You now have your Rouleau loop.